


Pixie Dust Doesn't Lie

by MackenzieW



Series: A Happy Beginning Now is Ours [7]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, OQ Happy Ending Week, Page 23, Pre-Regina's First Dark Curse, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-13
Updated: 2018-07-13
Packaged: 2019-06-09 16:24:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15271491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MackenzieW/pseuds/MackenzieW
Summary: A continuation of "Page 23," one of my entries for OQ Fix It Week. What happens after Regina had that drink with Robin?





	Pixie Dust Doesn't Lie

**Author's Note:**

> For OQ Happy Ending Week, Day 4: Pre-Curse Happy Ending

_"Every day is an opportunity to make a new Happy Ending."--Unknown_

* * *

 

          “Last call,” the burly barkeep yelled. “You don’t have to go home but I do. Pay yer tabs and then get out. I’ll see the lot of you tonight.”

            Regina looked up to see the few remaining patrons stagger to the bar, drop some coins down and then leave. She could see that it wasn’t as dark outside, the world a pale blue as the sun prepared to rise over the horizon. Hours had flown by in the blink of an eye, all thanks to the handsome and charming man sitting across from her. She glanced down at their clasped hands, his thumb brushing the back of hers, and was loathed to pull away.

            He felt the same, judging by the pained look in his eyes. “I must settle out tab, milady. And I’m sure you wish to go home and go to bed. I’ve kept you up far too late.”

            “I’m not tired,” she replied. “Are you?”

            He shook his head as his eyes lit up. Robin pulled his hands from hers, holding up a finger. “Wait here.”

            Regina watched as he walked over to the barkeep. He dropped some coins into the man’s open palm before conversing with him, motioning to her every so often. The barkeep sighed but nodded, taking off his apron as Robin returned to their table, giddy.

            “He’s agreed to let us stay as long as we lock up when we leave,” he told her, taking his seat again.

            Joy filled her and she turned to address the departing barkeep. “Thank you.”

            “I’ve counted every coin, Robin, so don’t get any ideas,” the barkeep warned. He then left, closing the door behind him.

            She shifted back to look at Robin again, frowning. “What did he mean by that?”

            Robin rubbed the back of his neck. “It seems that in our conversation, I forgot to mention that I am a thief by trade.”

            “A thief?” She felt her eyebrows go up. For years, she knew her mother would punish thieves harshly, no matter what they stole. And there were some she felt sorry for—who stole in order to feed their family or get medicine for sick children. While she knew it was wrong to steal, she never understood why no one would then help the people rather than punish them. “Are you a good one then?”

            “One of the best in Sherwood,” he said. “I have a few associates who are also some of the best.”

            “And who do you steal from? What do you do with your loot?” she asked, intrigued.

            Robin grinned. “Ahh, very good questions. I have a code that I abide by and one my associates must adhere to if they wish to join me on jobs. I never steal from anyone in need, only those whose life won’t be harmed in anyway by a few missing bags of gold. Then I keep only what I need to get by and give the rest to those who need it—a father who needs to feed his children, a mother who needs medicine for her baby, orphans with no one else to care for them, the blind beggar everyone ignores.”

            “A thief with honor,” she said, impressed. Though she had known it in her heart, it was nice to know he wasn’t some scoundrel who stole from everybody for his own selfish desires. She admired him for caring about others, though his story gave her pause. “Are there many people in need?”

            He nodded, his smile falling. “The farther away you get from the palace, the worst off you are. Jobs are scarce and if you do manage to get one, it usually pays so little that it takes a month to afford any food let alone a place to sleep or clothes or any other necessities. And that’s if it isn’t taken by the sheriffs to pay taxes to the king. If you ask me, he’s the biggest thief of them all.”

            Regina squirmed, wondering how he would react if he knew who she was. Still, she was intrigued by his words. “I’ve never heard anyone speak ill of the king before. From what I’ve been told, he’s very beloved.”

            “That’s what the people at court want to believe. That’s what they want the king to believe,” he said. “They also benefit from the taxes collected, skimming from the top, which forces Leopold to collect more and more. So they lie to him, tell him the people are happy and prosperous. When they deliver all that gold to him, he has no reason to disbelieve them.”

            “And he never goes to visit the villages beyond the palace,” she realized. “I haven’t traveled much with him but when we have, it’s only between his palaces. He sometimes visits a few nobles, but none of the roads he uses go through villages. And he would never stop…”

            Robin tilted his head. “You’ve traveled with the king?”

            She took a deep breath. “It seems in our conversation, I forgot to mention that I’m the queen.”

            “You’re the…?” He stared at her before leaning back. “And how does the queen end up in Sherwood?”

            “Pixie dust,” she replied, recalling how wonderful it felt to fly away from the palace with Tinkerbell.

            His lips twitched as he fought his smile. “Why would pixie dust bring you here? What are you looking for?”

            “Love. Freedom. Happiness.” She clasped her hands as she looked down. “I never wanted to be queen. It was all my mother’s doing. She orchestrated it so I saved Snows’ life and could meet the lonely widowed king. She accepted his proposal. And then Snow told a secret and my mother killed the man I loved when I tried to run away with him. I had no other choice but to marry the king.”

            Regina felt tears roll down her cheeks as thought of Daniel and her life in the palace. “It’s hell there. I’m nothing more than a pretty bauble he can put on display, yet most times he barely does that. I am often kept in shadows while a child is paraded around as if she were queen. He misses her mother, I know that. Because he doesn’t ignore me at night, though he ignores my tears and my pleas as he takes what he wants. And when he does, he calls me by _her_ name.”

            Silence filled the tavern and she rubbed her eyes, trying to get rid of the tears in an attempt not to look at Robin. No doubt she had ruined any chance with him. Pixie dust or not, soulmates or not, she knew he wasn’t going to risk his life for her. Petty theft was one thing; treason was another. She also knew enough to know that men didn’t like women who were already deflowered—Mother had pounded that into her head. She was damaged goods in more ways than one. Robin couldn’t be blamed for running far, far away from her.

            “Just when I think the king couldn’t be more of a bastard, I find out he is,” Robin said softly.

            Surprised, Regina looked at him. Robin’s face was turning red and she saw him squeezing his fists as his jaw tensed. Fire burned in his eyes but she realized he was angered at what had been done to her. She didn’t think anyone had ever cared that much, not even her own parents.

            He took a deep breath before moving to sit next to her, pulling out a handkerchief and wiping her face. “You can’t go back there.”

            “I don’t think I have much of a choice,” she replied, her voice hoarse from the sobs she fought. “Leopold may not love me but he sees me as his possession. No one takes his possessions away.”

            “You are a person and should be treated as such,” he told her. “I can help you. The people here do not love Leopold and would be more than happy to stick something to him, especially to help his neglected and mistreated wife escape him. Just say the word, Regina. You do have a choice and I will respect whatever one you make.”

            A sob escaped her throat and she pressed his handkerchief to her mouth, taking in its woodsy scent. He wrapped an arm around her and she laid her head on his shoulder as more sobs got out. No one had cared about her since Daniel and she had wondered if she was even worth such kindness. Robin now was proving that she was.

            Pixie dust didn’t lie for though she had known him only hours, she loved him.

            Her sobs subsided as she wiped her eyes. “Will you be there with me?”

            “If you want me to be,” he replied softly. He brushed some hair away from her face. “I know we’ve only known each other for mere hours, but I feel connected to you, Regina. It feels like something had been missing from my world but I didn’t know what it was. Now I do. It was you.”

            She didn’t know who kissed who. They leaned in at the same time and then his lips were hers. Or perhaps hers were on his. It didn’t matter, though. All she knew was that she had never experienced a kiss like this. Daniel’s kisses had been sweet and reminded her of the candy she would sneak when her mother wasn’t looking. Leopold’s were a chore and she just closed her eyes, counting until it was over. She had yet to reach ten.

            Robin’s kisses, though, reminded her of the first time she used magic. The same fire thrummed in her veins and a feeling of ecstasy filled her. Her stomach flipped and her heart soared liked it did when she rode Rocinante at a full gallop. She never felt more alive and she never wanted the feeling to end.

            Her lungs began to burn with a need for air and she broke the kiss, panting as Robin pressed his forehead to hers. “You are an excellent kisser,” he told her, also panting.

            She smirked. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

            Robin laughed, standing up as he held out his hand to her. “Shall we leave? We have a lot to do, like getting you more appropriate clothing.”

            “I would draw a lot of attention in this, wouldn’t I?” She took his hand and stood as well, smiling at him.

            He didn’t move right away, caressing her face. “Is there anything you might want from the palace? It would probably be best if I try to steal it now before they realize you’re gone, never to come back.”

            “There’s one thing,” she said. “My horse. Rocinante. I can’t leave him behind.”

            Robin nodded. “Then I shall steal him. I know of a kindly friar who will give you shelter while I go get him. Then we can go start our new lives.”

            “I can’t wait,” she said, kissing him again. It was a quick kiss though, full of promise and excitement. He made sure the tavern’s door was locked before they left out the back, heading into the light of the new day.

* * *

            “Terrible news, my love,” Robin said, entering their small cabin in the middle of the woods. He set down his quiver and bow before removing his cloak.

            Regina frowned as she looked up from where she prepared a stew, wiping her hands on her apron. “The didn’t go well?”

            “Oh no, it went very well,” he assured her, smiling cheekily. “We liberated enough gold to feed the village through the coming winter.”

            She breathed out in relief. “Thank goodness.”

            He hummed, wrapping his arm around her waist to pull her flush against his body. “I’m afraid the terrible news is that you’re dead.”

            “I am?” she asked, surprised. “Says who?”

            “King Leopold. He’s issued a royal proclamation declaring that despite doing everything in his power to rescue you, his knights were too late and your kidnappers killed you. He declared the funeral to be a small, private one and that you were already buried in the royal crypt,” Robin explained.

            She laughed, finding the whole situation absurd. “Anything to save his pride, huh?”

            “It would be a blow to have to admit that his young queen ran off and he cannot find her,” Robin agreed, rubbing her back. “But you know what this means, right?”

            “I do,” she said, feeling as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Leopold was letting her go. No one would be looking for her anymore and she no longer had to worry about soldiers showing up to drag her back to the palace. “I’m finally free.”

            He nodded, kissing her. She melted into it, wrapping her arms around his neck as her fingers toyed with the soft hair at the nape of his neck. Over the months they had been together, she had come to know every inch of his body as he had come to know hers. There were many things she loved about him but she enjoyed the simple intimacy of just running her fingers through his thick hair the most.

            They broke apart and he gently bopped her nose with his, a loving gesture he had started not long after their affair had started. He pressed his forehead to hers, wanting to be as close as possible to her. “You still need to be careful. If you’re caught on a job and recognized, you will be promptly returned to Leopold.”

            “I know,” she replied softly. If she was lucky, he would execute her swiftly. But if he truly wanted to punish her, he would lock her up and force her to be his queen again. She would be separated from Robin, the man she loved with her whole being, and would no longer have any control of her life again. It truly would be a fate worse than death.

            “He’s marrying again,” he continued. “I haven’t heard who his bride is but all the nobles are preparing to journey to the capital for a grand wedding feast.”

            She didn’t care about Leopold rushing into another marriage, though she felt bad for the woman who would take her place. Hopefully her marriage wasn’t as hellish as Regina’s had been. Perhaps Leopold cared for this woman, though she doubted it.

            Regina also cared for the potential jobs this created for them. “We can place Merry Men all along the main road and rob all of them. Think of all the villages we can feed throughout the winter.”

            “Perhaps we can also build that orphanage,” he added, smiling.

            Her heart stopped at her words. It was her dream to build a proper orphanage, a nice house where the children forced to live on the streets could go and be safe. A place where they would be warm, get regular meals, receive clean clothing, their own beds and a proper education. It broke Regina’s heart every time she and Robin encountered a parentless child and she had to resist the urge to take them all home with her. With the orphanage, she would be able to do just that and be like a mother to all of them.

            “Well then,” she said, pulling away from him. “Let me check on our supper and then I think we need to round up the men. I’m sure they’ll all bring their appetites—especially Little John.”

            Robin chuckled, no doubt thinking of their portly friend. Yet he was their right-hand man and most loyal Merry Men, the first to join them when they founded their little compound in the middle of Sherwood Forest. He and Robin had taught her everything she needed to know about being a thief and how to defend herself. She soon joined them on missions and helped them distribute their treasures to the people who needed it. More and more started to join them, either as Merry Men or to live in the woods, and an unusual family was born.

            It was one, though, that Regina wouldn’t sacrifice for anything in the world.

            “Before we do that, there’s one thing I want to do first,” Robin said, catching her hand and pulling her back to him.

            He then got down on one knee and she gasped, her heart speeding up. “Robin, what are you doing?”

            “I figure if the king can marry again, then so can you.” He reached into a small pocket in his vest and pulled out a ring. It was a simple silver band with a small ruby on it but it was more beautiful than any piece of jewelry she had owned as queen.

            Robin held up the ring. “Regina, I have loved you since the moment you stepped into that tavern. I have loved every moment spent by your side and I can’t imagine my life without you in it. I will be forever grateful to that fairy who brought you to me. Let’s continue proving that pixie dust doesn’t lie. Will you marry me?”

            She covered her mouth with her hand as tears of joy spilled down her cheeks. A lump formed in her throat and she could only nod at first. Regina cleared her throat, finally managing to gasp out: “Yes.”

            He slid the ring onto her finger, where once the giant diamond Leopold had given her sat. She had sold it months ago, using the money to help buy the materials they needed to build the cabin they now called home. It seemed appropriate that the symbol of her crushed dreams had then revived them.

            Robin stood and pulled her in to seal their betrothal with a kiss. She smiled against his lips. They had already agreed to spend their lives together when they left the tavern together but they had longed to make it official, to pledge it in front of their friends. However, Tuck and the local magistrate had been hesitant because they knew Regina was married to the king, even if they had no intentions of alerting the palace to her location. She hoped they saw it the same way Robin did—if the king had declared her dead and was marrying again, then so could she.

            They broke the kiss and Robin stepped away from her. “I’m going to tell everyone the good news, round up the Merry Men and then come back to enjoy your delicious stew. I’ll be back shortly.”

            “I’ll be waiting,” she said, removing the pot from the flames with a towel. She continued to smile like a loon, happier than she had ever been thanks to Robin and in a strange way, to Leopold.

            Who would’ve predicted that?

* * *

            Tuck and the local magistrate agreed with Robin’s assessment—if the king could marry again, then so could Regina. She and Robin married a month after he proposed, the ceremony taking place in the church between their compound and the nearest village. Many women offered to help Regina make a wedding dress and a few merchants even offered to give her the fabric as a wedding gift. There was only one thing she wanted to wear to marry Robin—the very dress she had met him in. Despite the fine materials and jewels sewn into it, she could never bring herself to sell it. It just held too much sentimental value and so she kept it stored in a chest at the foot of the bed she shared with Robin.

            With the help of local laundress, Regina was able to wash and air out her dress. The Merry Wives, as the women who resided in their compound dubbed themselves, helped her dress the morning of her wedding. One did her hair, plaiting her hair and placing white flowers amongst the braids. The children of the village collected wildflowers for her wedding bouquet and she clutched them as she walked down the aisle to Robin, who wore a new green tunic and black pants for the occasion. He smiled as she approached, love shining in his eyes.

            Hands clasped, they promised to love each other in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, for richer or poor until death did them part. Silver bands were exchanged and Tuck’s booming voice declared them husband and wife. Robin kissed her as the townspeople cheered. They left the church as husband and wife, ready to head back to their compound for a lively celebration.

            Robin and Regina danced long after the sun had set and the stars had come out. He held her close, sneaking kisses whenever he could. She laughed each time before obliging him, letting them get longer and longer so she could stay in his arms. After Daniel’s death, she had thought she would never have love and happiness again. She had never been so glad to admit she was wrong.

            And it was all thanks to a little pixie dust.


End file.
